


My Brother's Pretty Cool, but Not as Cool as Me

by BelaCinderella



Series: Merek Trevelyan Universe [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Giselle Trevelyan, Merek Trevelyan, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-11
Updated: 2015-04-11
Packaged: 2018-03-22 07:40:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3720631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelaCinderella/pseuds/BelaCinderella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Giselle Trevelyan, youngest child and accidental Inquisitor, has an older brother, Merek, who is visiting Skyhold, and may cause some drama.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Brother's Pretty Cool, but Not as Cool as Me

**Author's Note:**

> Giselle Trevelyan (mage) belongs to my friend [Laken](the-family-kenway.tumblr.com), Merek (rogue) belongs to me, and Dragon Age as a whole belongs to Bioware

>   
>  My Dearest Sister,
> 
> I cannot believe the stories! From a girl who couldn’t wait to serve the Chantry to being a leader of a rebel force that rivals nations! Do you remember when you couldn’t even lie to mother about how your clothes got ruined when we snuck out together? And now you’re out here telling the Chantry to kiss your tush, your words backed the strangest motley crew of misfits I’ve ever heard of! Is it true you have the Orlesian grand enchanter and the eldest son of Tevinter’s House Pavus by your side? My my my, and you recruited the Redcliffe mages as free allies? Truely a bright future for mages with you. I cannot wait to see what else you have done with your new power.  
>  I have tired of Antiva City. It was excellent for a vacation, but I think now it is time for me to return to business. And what better way to continue exploring and collecting information than to hike my way into the middle of the highest mountains in Thedas to see my baby sister and her inquisition? That’s right, I’m already on my way! Expect me in a fortnight and tell your lovely ambassador Miss Montilyet I have news from her family! 
> 
> See you soon,  
>  Merek Trevelyan 

Giselle read the letter twice over to be sure she understood all the words correctly. Certainly she had been surprised when she saw a letter with her family crest on it, but she had assumed it was another update from her mother. This was so much better. She hadn’t heard from Merek in what felt like years. 

Giselle folded up the letter and ran down the stairs and into the main hall. She tucked the letter under her arm and snagged two wine glasses off the tables before kicking open the door to Josephine’s office. 

"Josie, guess what!" she said, sloshing a bit of wine onto Josephine's desk when she set the cup down. 

"Yes, my lady?" replied Josephine, attempting to mop up the wine off her reports. 

"Oh Maker, I'm so sorry. Did I ruin your papers?" 

"No, no, it was nothing. A note from Leliana. But tell me, what is this news that has you so excited?" 

"Oh right," Giselle pulled the letter from under her arm and thrust it at Josephine. 

"The Trevelyan family crest. From your mother?" Josephine asked, opening the letter. 

"Just read it," Giselle, practically bouncing in excitement. 

Josephine's smile slowly got bigger as she read the letter until she folded it up and handed it back to Giselle. 

"Your brother is coming here from Antiva? But who could tire of Antiva?" 

"I don't know. I wish I could ask him to bottle me some sea air," said Giselle, taking a sip of her wine, "oh, obviously I brought this to celebrate." 

Josephine laughed as she took a sip of her wine, "tell me Giselle, how long has it been since you last saw your brother?" 

"Ah, about two years? I mean, the family got sporadic letters from him as he traveled about Thedas, but he was never interested in keeping us informed. He was never interested in doing as expected." 

"I can imagine your family is very interested in the Chantry and Templars, correct?" 

"Oh yes. Very pious, very devout." 

"And your brother? He is...?" 

"Josie, to be honest, no one in our family is quite sure what Merek does. Usually when children in our family reach our thirteenth year, our parents have a serious discussion with us about what we wish to do. My eldest brother is a member of the Templar Order in Ostwick, and my sister is a Chantry sister. Since I showed an early aptitude for magic and I expressed my love for it, I was Circle trained since the age of eight. My brother on the other hand never enjoyed fighting or piety. Sure, he could recite the Canticles, but it was never something he was serious about. But he always seemed to know exactly where to be when important events happened. If you asked him a question, he knew the answer, or he could find it." 

"So your brother is a scholar" asked Josephine. 

"No, no. I mean, to be sure, he knows many things and is very smart, but I mean, questions about people. Secrets. He would know things about people that no one else did. Serious secrets. And he always knew how to use the information he had to his advantage. Once he learned a secret about the Chantry sister who was in charge of his schooling, and he wielded it so that he never needed to show up for Canticle studies or choir practice, but she wrote to my parents every week to tell them he was excelling in his studies." 

Josephine laughed, "so he like Leliana? She won't be pleased about the competition!" 

"Almost, yes! He is a secrets dealer. But Leliana works for us, right? Merek, he's more of a mercenary spy. Because whenever he wasn't manipulating people, he was out adventuring. The first year he has his own horse, we never saw him. Every ounce of free time he had, he was gone. He must have explored every single cave on the coast. And we found out later he had found someone to teach him archery. My mother felt much better about him adventuring when she saw how good he was. He rivals Sera. Well, she felt better until one day he came home with descriptions of a solo trip up to Rialto and my mother almost killed him. So being a spy for hire suits him. He travels all over Thedas and deals secrets for money and protection." 

"This is a wise career?" asked Josephine, concern in her voice. 

"Of course not. But 'wise' is not a word you can apply to my brother easily. His wisdom is there, but he is incredibly risky too, so his wisdom comes in bouts." 

"Does he make many enemies?" 

"Well, I'm not sure, but his wisdom is evident in the clients he chooses. He gambles wisely, if you can say that. He chooses clients that will pay him in ways more than just monetarily. Connections, protection, supplies. And rather than get his secrets like Leliana, who's ruthless- not that there's anything wrong with that- but Merek is charming. He gets people to trust him, to love him. I watched him play people in Ostwick and he's good. Very smooth. From what he's written to me before, he also has a small group of people he works with, spread out all over Thedas. They work in codes. Once, when I was sixteen, he wrote me a letter in code and sent me another letter explaining how to use the code. I broke it, and it contained a little story about him and where he'd been. I felt so smart for cracking it, although looking back, it was a terribly simple code." 

"You were sixteen when he was gone? But you said you saw him two years ago?" Josephine's brow knit together. 

"I suppose a timeline might be helpful. Merek is four years older than me. He got his horse and started learning archery at eleven, which is why, when he was almost fourteen and took himself up to Rialto, my mother almost died. When he was fifteen, he told my parents he would go into the Chantry, but he kept adventuring on the side, until my parents finally told him to get serious about his future. That was when he almost seventeen. He kept up the Chantry facade, but in the summer of his seventeenth year he had managed a job in Ostwick that made him a friend in Kirkwall, so he left home and started a life in Kirkwall." 

"Did he know anything about what happened in Kirkwall?" 

"I don't believe so. I mean, he might have known someone... But it's been ten years. He's been in Nevarra, Val Royeaux, and Antiva City. He's sent me trinkets from Orzammar and said he didn't like the Anderfels. I think he's actually headquartered in Minrathous. Well, as headquartered as a mercenary spy can be. But he visits sometimes. I continued to live with my parents until the events at the Temple. He visited about two years ago, when he was traveling from Kirkwall to Antiva City. I suppose, if he was in Kirkwall in 9:39, then maybe he knows about what happened? But from Antiva City he went to Minrathous, but I guess he's back in Antiva... and now he's coming here." 

Josephine chuckled, "your brother sounds fascinating." 

Giselle nodded, "he is, but please don't tell him that. He has enough of an ego and he loves to talk about himself." She looked around then and realized the fire had burned low and their wine glasses were empty. "Oh Josephine, I didn't realize how late it was. I've taken up too much of your time." 

"It's perfectly alright, your stories were marvelous. But I think now it is time for bed. I look forward to meeting your brother. Tell me which guest room to make up for him and it will be done." 

"Alright, Josie. Thank you. Goodnight," Giselle said, picking up the wine glasses and leaving. She left the glasses on a table in the main hall, and wandered through the library, looking at the papers on Solas' desk, before opening up the door and looking across to Cullen's tower. 

Most everyone in Skyhold has gone to bed, except for he guards on watch, but of course Cullen's windows were lit. Giselle looked at her bare feet, then looked at the stone walkway. She sighed and sprinted across the walkway, slamming Cullen's door shut behind her. 

Cullen's head snapped up from his papers, and he squinted in the gloom, "Giselle? What are you doing here?" 

"Cullen, it's late, why are you still up?" 

"I'm looking over- Maker's Breath, you're barefoot. You must be freezing." 

Giselle nodded, "a little, my dear. But you could warm me up?" 

Cullen cleared his throat, "I suppose I've done enough work for the evening." 

"It's late. Cullen, come to bed," Giselle said, moving towards the ladder. 

"Oh, are you-? I mean, you wish to spend the night here?" said Cullen, raising his eyebrows as he unbuckled his chestplate. 

Giselle looked down at him as she climbed, "well, like you said, I'm barefoot and it's cold outside. I'm not making the long, chilly journey back to my quarters when I have a warm bed right here." By the time finished her sentence, she'd reached the bed. She snuggled under the covers, breathing in Cullen's scent that clung to the pillows. "I wonder if I can undress without moving the covers," Giselle said to herself. She wriggled out of her pants and kicked them off, but the shirt was a little more difficult. "Not wearing a breast band was the best decision." 

Cullen's blond head came into view as he climbed the ladder, "did you say you weren't wearing a breast band?" 

Giselle pulled the covers up to her chin, "that's right." 

"So even during the war meeting?" 

"I can't believe you didn't notice," Giselle laughed as he climbed into bed. 

He wrapped an arm around her torso and pulled her to his chest, "mmm, I'll make sure to pay attention next time," he said as he kissed her shoulder blade. 

"Oh, Cullen, before I forget, I actually came here with some very exciting news." 

"What's that, love?" 

"That letter on your nightstand there, it's from my brother. He says he's visiting soon. You'll-" she yawned, "I think you'll like him." 

Cullen snuggled closer to Giselle, "I can't wait to meet him."

**Author's Note:**

> Do you like it when authors promise you a lot of stuff, and only sporadically deliver the goods? Then follow me on [tumblr!](dilf-enthusiast.tumblr.com)


End file.
